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Hithfaerthel
, with a view of Fjara across the Hills of Án]]Hithfaerthel (Admáenié: "First Great Garden"), or Sauīleya (Aranese: "Elder Isle") is a large island in the Triamar Archipelago in southern Atheryin. The ancestral homeland of the Arano peoples, and most known ethnicities of man, it is often referred to as the "birthplace of mankind" and one of the pivotal locations for the development of society on Atheryin. The isle has hosted the oldest confirmed civilization, the city of Reora and the kingdom of Salkonia, and continues to support a lively culture and thriving ecosystem unmatched by many regions of Kyros. The island was the birthplace of Del, the key prophet of the Collective church, and all religions that have sprung from it. Kul, his son, went on to found the church itself shortly after the Fall of Eolas, and became one of the three most revered prophets in the entire religion. According to ancient myth, men first arrived on the isle, riding on the back of the god-bear Finna, nearly four years after the creation of Atheryin. These newly indigenous men worshiped first the large, monstrous Harbingers that inhabited the isle, described quite uniquely compared to others on the mainland. Hithfaerthel has been a hot topic for political debate throughout history, as the dissolution of the Fínnan peoples left the claims to the isles indeterminable; the Arano claim it is more their ancestral home than their northern neighbors, the remaining Fónnan, and the eager Dunaan even further north. Native Aranese people still living on the isle also claim sovereign independence from other nations of men, but due to issues regarding the Celestial Birthrights of man, and mottled political conflicts (such as the Defamation and High Treason), the mainland Arano and Dunaan deny these claims, for legitimate reasons or not. Geography Hithfaerthel has interesting geography, despite its rather small stature in comparison to the great macro-geography of mainland Atheryin. In the east, the isle is bordered by the Broadwaters, and is the only known land form directly east for hundreds, if not thousands of miles. In the west, the Rockshallow Straits keep short distance between the mainland and Hithfaerthel itself. In the south, the Isle of Herda separates the coasts of Hithfaerthel and the equally massive Galinnastor. To the north lies the collected states of the Dún, and more specifically, the large Dunaan state of Órr. Rón and Salkonia border each other over water, via the Onfiir Strait, the thinnest singular body of water known to man. Northern Highlands The northern region of Hithfaerthel, traditionally comprising all land south of Cape Ühn and north of Fjara's summit, is mainly comprised of fertile highlands and dense temperate forests. The old city of Reora lies on a large, gradual plateau formation with highland plains, perfect for shepherding and farms of all types. The warm coastal air from the Broadwaters combined with dry air off the mainland Atheryin gives the area a balanced humidity and fairly frequent thunderstorms in late summer and fall, moderate snow during a short winter, and generally sunny and temperate springs. The area is often described as one of the most beautiful in the world, especially because of its "virgin" nature, with littlee widespread habitation by people. Off of Reora's plateau are thick, densely forested hills known as the Án that are difficult to navigate, and as a result, largely uninhabited. The forested wilds retain the same climate as the plateau. 'Southern Regions' Southern Hithfaerthel is most easily described as rugged. Off the might of Fjara, smaller mountains rise into the south, leaving the people on the two halves of the island largely separate and isolated from one another. The low mountains, filled evenly with vineyards and other high-altitude, warm-climate farms, eventually give way to vast humid lowlands. The area's fertility can be deceiving, however: the emerald green plains, subject to a tropical climate, are densely humid and often very hot in the summers, leading many trade caravans and pilgrims alike to their death, or to refuge in the abundant fresh water runoff streams and lakes dotting the land. To the west of this region is the Isle of Eá, a small island with sharp seaside cliffs and immense forests of giant trees, considered holy land to Arano pantheons and the Collective religions. South of the humid plains are higher, hillier lands, some turning to mountains (like with the Marir Archipelago), with cliffs on the southern coasts overlooking the might of far distant Gelinnastor. Category:Regions, Countries